Naturally Beautiful
by PikaGirl13
Summary: After Utsuho notices Neya's depressed behavior during her turn for night watch, he decides to cheer her up with a compliment he meant to give her back when they were in Iwashi's village. Catching Neya completely off guard in the light of the full moon. a UtsuNeya fluff fic.


Naturally Beautiful

Neya gave a deep sigh as she looked up at the full moon during her turn for night watch. Things were peaceful in their growing family as the boys practically piled up on top of each other to keep warm and Minamo snuggled close to Iwashi who was keeping her warm in her arms. Hikae was never tired or needed sleep, so he kept watch up in the tree branches above with his sharp vision.

"What's wrong Neya?" A sudden voice asked her from behind. Neya jumped and turned her head around to see Utsuho with a bundle of firewood in his arms. "You sound depressed."

Neya puffed out her cheeks. "Would you not creep up like a ghost in the middle of the night?"

"Did I scare you?" Utsuho teased as he tilted his head so the shadows made him look ghostly with his white hair. "You're not afraid of things that go bump in the night are you?"

Neya threatened to use one of her Kunai knives on him, so Utsuho backed off with a chuckle. "Seriously though, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing really...just a few irritating thoughts that keep bothering me. No big deal." Neya replied as she turned her head to look back up at the moon.

Utsuho surprised Neya with his soft voice as he asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

"No...yes. I don't know..." Neya said as she shrugged her shoulders and stared down at her feet. Not knowing where to take the conversation next.

Utsuho beckoned her to sit down next to him by the fire pit and not knowing where he was going with this, Neya complied and sat next to him. The embers were warm and Utsuho kindled the flames to make the warmth a little stronger.

"You remember how you were upset about Iwashi's beauty standards back in her village?" Utsuho asked after a long moment of silence.

Neya nodded her head. "Thankfully Iwashi changed her ways and now she's a lot more open to men and things that don't meet up to her beauty standards." Where was he going with this?

"I meant to tell you something before we left the village but I got distracted with our journey to Sasaka. And since I just remembered it a few days ago, I thought I should tell you." Utsuho stated simply as he leaned against the tree behind him. Neya stared at him with intrigued interest.

Utsuho smiled at her eagerness to know what he was about to say and he stared into her eyes. "Even though Iwashi may have some bombastic qualities of her own, I think you have a special natural beauty that can't be found anywhere else."

The compliment came completely out of left field as Neya looked at Utsuho like he grew an extra head or a third arm. Her face began to turn red and she felt her heart start to race as she continued to hold Utsuho's gaze.

"Y-you're not lying to me...are you?" Neya finally asked with a stutter in her voice.

Utsuho shook his head and gave a chuckle. "Why would I lie about that?"

"Do you wanna talk all night?"

"Neya." Utsuho said with a little affectionate plea to his voice, "Just look into my eyes and see if I'm lying or not."

Neya gazed deeper into his eyes and the more she looked, the more her doubt disappeared. He was telling the truth. Call it her woman's intuition.

Utsuho smiled at her blushing face. "Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is your face as red as your skirt?"

"Shut up..." Neya replied with a small voice and Utsuho laughed at her embarrassment.

Even though Neya didn't feel it, Utsuho knew that everyone in their group had their eyes on them as they continued their conversation. Hikae was up above in the trees listening to the whole thing with a big grin on his face. Somehow they reminded him of a long forgotten couple he used to know 500 years ago.

Utsuho managed to change Neya's entire attitude from being down in the dumps to being happy again by telling her something he had always thought about her. Long before they even reached Iwashi's village.


End file.
